IT Service Management (ITSM) PDF

IT2312 Introduction to IT Service Management (ITSM) IT Service Management (Johnston, Shulver, Slack, & Clark, 2021) Service is characterized by the four (4) features of serv...

IT2312 Introduction to IT Service Management (ITSM) IT Service Management (Johnston, Shulver, Slack, & Clark, 2021) Service is characterized by the four (4) features of services, known as the “IHIP” characteristics. 1. Intangibility, in that it is not a physical item. A service cannot be touched compared to a product that has a physical form, such as a car, a dress, or food. In contrast, a service, such as a theater performance, a dental appointment, or financial advice, cannot be touched as such. 2. Heterogeneity, in that it is difficult to standardize. It means that each time a service is delivered, it will be different as the needs and behavior of customers can vary. No matter how well the service is designed and advertised, customers may still request a service beyond what is presented. For example, in a massage salon, a patron might occasionally request a more complex type of massage and prefer a lighter one on a separate day. 3. Inseparability, in that the production and consumption of services are simultaneous. The service provider is often physically present when a customer consumes it. Such as, in education services, an instructor discusses concepts while students comprehend them or when doctors listen to their patients to diagnose or recommend treatments. 4. Perishable, in that that it cannot be stored. It means that services have a limited “shelf life.” Such as, if a hotel room is not booked for Christmas night, the service meant to be provided has perished, as the same room for sale on the following night offers a different service. The development of information and communication technology (ICT) has significantly affected the extent to which the IHIP characteristics apply and how the limits they place on service operations can be overcome. IT Service Management (ITSM) allows organizations to maximize business value using information technology (IT). It is the implementation and management of quality IT services that meet the needs of and deliver value to the business. ITSM demonstrates a set of practices or processes, establishing a service management system. Industrial, national, and international standards for ITSM set up requirements and good practices for the management system, such as the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). An ITSM example could involve an employee requesting laptop maintenance from the IT department. The employee must submit a request through a helpdesk or the organization’s portal, fill out a ticket with relevant information, and await IT personnel to acknowledge the request from their queue to start the maintenance. But ITSM is more than day-to-day, essential IT support as it oversees diverse workplace technology, from desktops and local servers to business-critical software applications. Critical Benefits of ITSM: Business Alignment: ITSM affords the IT team a more in-depth and precise understanding of a business's requirements. Business alignment ensures everyone is on the same page and working toward the same goals. An effective ITSM makes processes far more scalable and easier to replicate, which is best for saving time and resources. Increased Productivity: Effective ITSM and accounted roles and associated responsibilities lead to increased productivity within the IT team. Satisfied End-users: ITSM results in greater end-user satisfaction, contributing to the overall business success as it ensures end-users receive the best service with reasonable expectations. 01 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 1 of 4  IT2312 Improved Problem-solving: ITSM lessens the time between incident identification and solution implementation as it gives access to detailed analytics. It assists in executing a more proactive approach to incidents, allowing them to strike preemptively before issues do any damage. Compliance: ITSM ensures that the organization is satisfying and meeting all the relevant regulatory requirements that an organization must possess. Brief ITSM History (Ivanti, 2023) Many points to the introduction of ITIL, with a set of best practice books, as the starting point for ITSM. The mid-1980s - ITIL was first created when the British government was not satisfied with the quality and strategic benefit of the IT services they provided. - They then tasked the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA), now the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), to create a set of practices for efficient and financially responsible use of IT resources in the private and government sector. 1989 – 1996 - The CCTA developed and published ITIL v1, containing more than 30 volumes. 2000 – 2001 - ITIL v2 was released to make the framework more accessible and usable for IT professionals. - This updated version condensed 30 volumes into nine (9) books, with related processes, categorized together based on each publication. 2006 - An additional glossary was published for ITIL v2. 2007 - ITIL v3 is released as the current version of the ITIL framework, widely known as ITIL 2007 Edition. - ITIL v3 combined the 26 processes and functions of ITIL into five (5) volumes corresponding to a stage of the ITIL service lifecycle. Most ITIL practitioners are familiar with this iteration. 2011 - ITIL v3 was revised with ITIL 2011 to resolve errors and inconsistencies in the text and graphics. 2019 - ITIL v4 was released, which builds on the detailed process guidance offered in ITIL v3 and has less information about ITIL processes and offers more service management guidance with an additional focus on service management principles and concepts than processes. - It also highlights a comprehensive approach to ITSM through the seven (7) guiding principles. Some would also argue that much preceded ITIL that could be considered ITSM inside and outside the IT community, thus making ITSM and service management older than ITIL. In early large-scale mainframe environments, it is common to have various managements for configuration, change, problem, availability, and disaster recovery that optimize an operation. And outside of IT, service management is always relevant to all service providers. While ITSM owes a lot to ITIL, its origins are traced back to traditional IT operations’ best practices and the general service provider community. 01 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 2 of 4  IT2312 ITSM Tools and Software (Cornell, 2022) ITSM tools can be categorized based on what they can do and the quality they deliver. Service Desks are communication centers that provide a single point of contact between a business/organization and its customers/employees. It aims to streamline communication—both internally and externally. Helpdesks – designed for companies to resolve customer issues through automated complaint resolution practices such as a business’ ticket management processes. A good helpdesk tool can effectively improve the rate at which incidents for customers and employees are resolved. Service Desk Helpdesk Business-centric User-centric Focuses on the business Focuses on the end-user Proactive Service Reactive Service Allows to develop long-term solutions proactively Allows to respond to user issues reactively The Complete Picture Break-Fix Model Works to prevent incidents in the future If something breaks, users contact the team to fix it Process Oriented Task-Oriented Focuses on how the entire support process can be Focuses on providing the right solution to the user’s improved need Table 1. Service desk vs. helpdesk Requirements for Choosing ITSM Tools: Understanding the Team’s Goals and Needs: This deals with answering the users' expectations, what support experiences to offer employees and customers, and what features the organization needs and can live without. Answering these brings the organization closer to finding a tool that matches the team’s needs. Testing the Interface: The tool must be simple and easy to use as the time it would take for the team to adjust to the tool can raise a new challenge. If the user interface (UI) is more intuitive, it will take lesser time for employees to feel confident resolving user issues and requests. Focusing on Scalability: Contact the tool vendor and ask if the tool can manage an increase in support cases over time. There is no point in investing time and money in a tool that fails to adjust to the organization’s future needs. Exploring the Reporting Features: Timely reports using report and analytics features can help measure employee performance, user satisfaction, and team productivity. Capturing metrics relevant to the organization, such as average first response time, customer/employee satisfaction, ticket resolution time, and unresolved tickets, will help the organization avoid problems. Checking the Vendor’s Reliability and Support: With the right vendor, the organization can stay assured that they are ready to resolve any issues that affect the users at the earliest. Go for vendors with 24/7 support, as vendors only available via email might not resolve the problem promptly. 01 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 3 of 4  IT2312 ITSM Software 1. SolarWinds Service Desk – a cloud-based ITSM software with features including change management tracking to self-generating knowledge bases. It is easy to install and customize and allows users to manage service tickets and company assets from any smartphone or tablet, which makes it ideal for device-heavy environments or employees working remotely. It is scalable and only charges per agent per monitored device, suitable for any organization, regardless of their requirements. 2. SolarWinds Web Help Desk is slightly more minimalistic but gives access to powerful helpdesk ticketing functionalities. The best feature of this software is its intuitive dashboard that gives users an easier time navigating between tabs and platforms as they track support tickets or check if an asset is available. 3. Zabbix – a popular IT server monitoring tool- is open source and freely available, fitting it for configuration change management. Monitoring for network, server, cloud, and application is available in this software as it is designed to be as versatile as possible. Users are almost guaranteed to face issues with the software’s steep learning curve. It takes more time to learn to customize its features as needed. 4. Jira Service Desk - a cloud-based ITSM solution by Atlassian best known for its efficient self- service feature, as customers can self-resolve tickets and queries by accessing its knowledge base. This software can be set up with a codeless configuration and instantly ready to go after installation. 5. Zendesk Suite – has a cloud-based helpdesk management solution with customizable tools to build a customer service portal, a knowledge base, and online communities. It has a live chat feature lets users communicate with their customers more easily. Customers can submit queries via email, chat, social media platforms, and phone. All these are in a centralized, unified console, which makes the employee’s experience of responding to queries organized and efficient. References: Atlassian (2023). What is IT service management? [Web Article]. Retrieved on July 11, 2023, from https://www.atlassian.com/itsm Bordoloi, S., & Fitzsimmons, J. (2022). Service management: Operations, strategy, information technology. McGraw Hill. DNS Stuff (2023). 8 best IT service management reviews. [Web Article]. Retrieved on July 11, 2023, from https://www.dnsstuff.com/itsm-tools Ivanti (2023). ITSM. [Web Article]. Retrieved on July 11, 2023, from https://www.ivanti.com/glossary/itsm Johnston, R. & Shulver, M. (2021). Operations management: 5th ed. Pearson. ProProfs (2022). What is the difference between help desk & service desk? [Web Blog]. Retrieved on July 11, 2023, from https://www.proprofsdesk.com/blog/help-desk-vs-service-desk/ 01 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 4 of 4  IT2312 IT Service Methods The Virtual Value Chain (Johnston, Shulver, Slack, & Clark, 2021) Business organizations now compete in two worlds: the marketplace, the physical world for people and things, and the marketspace, a virtual world of information. Both can be maximized by IT service providers simultaneously, just like how PLDT has a physical location where users go for installation requests, bill payments, and plan upgrades and a website where users can request the same services. The significance of a marketspace allows providers to collect useful information that is difficult to get onsite, such as a survey, to improve service delivery processes and create customer value. Figure 1. Retrieved from Bordoloi, S., & Fitzsimmons, J. (2022). Service management: Operations, strategy, information technology. McGraw Hill. Virtual Value Chain Creating value has been described as stages linked together to form a value chain. Based on Figure 1, there is a traditional physical value chain and a virtual value chain. A physical value chain includes acquiring raw materials, operations, delivery, sales and marketing, and service. In contrast, a virtual value chain comprises the digital and virtual realms of information to create value. The objectives of the virtual value chain include: Creating direct, cost-effective interactions between value chain members and users. Giving end-users with specific value services advantages such as performance looks, aesthetics, security, and reliability. Ensuring that the value is created and delivered continuously. There are five (5) components of the virtual value chain (Gather, Organize, Select, Synthesize, Distribute) that need to be applied to each stage to create a virtual value: Stage 1: New Processes It involves envisioning physical operations more effectively with information such as PLDT employing “paperless billing” to their customers and moving the process from a manual paper-based filing system to a central computerized database. It is an essential step to utilize the benefits of the marketspace fully. 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 1 of 5  IT2312 Stage 2: New Knowledge In this stage, digital and virtual alternatives substitute for physical information. PLDT would gather much more information using their website than their physical locations as they can easily market and link their websites to social media posts. It would help IT services gather and organize information at a larger and faster rate. Stage 3: New Services This stage analyzes new information to discover new service needs and methods to deliver value. For PLDT, they started a Home Rewards program wherein customers earn crystal that they could use to exchange for exciting treats, bill rebates, and discounts. PLDT saw how customers would rather pay online than onsite and took this opportunity to create a system that would keep customers visiting and paying directly on their website. Stage 4: New Relationships In this last stage, opportunities for collaboration with customers to create values are explored. PLDT could assign brand ambassadors to promote their new promo and deals or create testimonials about their experience with the organization. This stage opens possibilities for better and prolonged loyalty of the customers. The idea of a virtual value chain gives a perspective of service innovation that creates value by using information gathered while serving customers. But there are certain degrees where information should be used. Limits in the Use of Information Invasion of Privacy: With technology as an enabler for easier data gathering, it can still be misused by third parties with malicious motives. Massive data storage capabilities in a cloud put the users' personal information at risk of being searched and exposed. It is best to use gathered user information based on the agreed terms and conditions and not sell the information to third parties that could access their financial transactions. Data Security: An organization’s responsible for taking the best care and having the best intention for their user’s information. It could prevent possible lawsuits and federal charges that might arise. Ensure that the cloud and data servers are monitored and protected with heightened protocols that only credible personnel can access. Reliability: There are instances that information from users cannot be fully trusted as some do surveys and randomly click on any option available without any thought. It could affect the value of the information and can alter plans for new services. It is encouraged to have assigned teams to ensure that every piece of information acquired is valid and comes from genuine user experience. Fairness: The users must always know where their information will go after every website cookie they accept or every filled-up form they submit. It creates a trusting relationship between the service providers and their users. The use of Terms and Conditions is an effective way to educate and, at the same time, warn users about what they are signing up for. A separate but properly structured agreement clause on the website’s page can also be beneficial. 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 2 of 5  IT2312 ITSM Processes (ClydeBank, 2022) IT Service Management (ITSM) has five (5) stages based on the ITIL framework. These processes ensure that incidents, service requests, and IT assets, among other aspects of IT services, are addressed and managed streamlined. Service Strategy It is the basis and first step in the cooperation between IT and the organization's needs. It defines the services to be offered, the strategic planning process, and the development of the required assets and infrastructure to keep processes moving. It allows organizations to focus on the “whys.” Instead of the “hows” when planning. Service Strategy also identifies potential risks and threats to the successful delivery of the services, even though IT departments tend to spend too little time on it. Service strategy has the following sub-units: Strategy Management for IT Services – assesses the market and how the organization plans to service it. Service Portfolio Management – the structured analysis of different services an organization wants to offer based on how much they cost to deploy and the value they can bring back to the organization. Demand Management – it scales resources to demand. It requires a specified definition of the organization’s service and the costs when failing to meet anticipated demands. Business Relationship Management focuses on identifying customers and understanding their expectations that detail creating and operating customer feedback registries, surveys, and complaint logs. Service Design It is when the ideas during Service Strategy begin to take form. Its result is a proposed IT solution that fits the determined objectives. And if neglected, the organization risks inventing sums of money and manpower by just developing a subpart IT solution that cannot even directly address the organization’s needs. An effective service design is much less expensive to spend extra time planning for a significant IT rollout than to fix a botched rollout during the later processes. The solutions must always be financially feasible and meet the organization's service needs. Service Design has the following sub-units: Service Level Management – ensures that the organization remains aware of all commitments, contracts, and other obligations. Risk Management – the process of plotting risk against reward. Capacity Management – allows IT departments and managers to analyze capacity requirements that the organization needs, such as speed, bandwidth, and service space, based on the service delivered. Availability Management – focuses on the qualitative capacity, such as if an IT department has the requisite personnel, tools, and infrastructure to complete a project. Compliance Management – the legal side of this process that reviews all relevant internal and external regulations from company policy to federal law. Supplier Management – ensures that the organization’s external suppliers of IT resources are equipped to meet the demands of the Service Design. 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 3 of 5  IT2312 Service Transition It is wherein real action is taken to implement the proposed service. This process is the point that organization systems and their people face adapting to and learning how to use a new service delivery system that opens to risks such as service interruptions, data security breaches, and human error. Service Transition should be as seamless as possible for the service recipients and always result in superior value and quality service to the organization. Service Transition has the following sub-units: Change Management – implements new IT services while lessening the disruptions to existing services. Release & Deployment Management – handles the schedule for a release to lessen disruptions to existing services while setting up the new service effectively and promptly. It relies on limited testing to determine the best rollout method. Service & Validation Testing – assures that enough IT resources are on hand to provide high-quality service continually. Service Assets & Configuration Management – ensures necessary IT assets to deliver the service are accessible, effectively deployed, and sustainable. Knowledge Management – collects, organizes, and stores data in the Service Transition and other processes to avoid wasting time and resources on recovering knowledge after it has already been obtained. Service Operation It is the recurring and day-to-day delivery of organization services and all that it entails to pattern a reliable and repeatable delivery of expected services to the users. It includes substantial contingency plans to address and solve anomalies, errors, and disruptions to service norms. Service Transition has the following sub-units: Event Management – monitors and sets standards for “events” or changes in the system that affect the system’s configuration that might prompt action from an IT personnel. Incident Management – undergoes appropriate analysis of incident and escalations steps. They also restore services in case an interruption happens. Request Fulfillment – responds to much lesser user concerns such as password resets and basic support. Access Management – verifies user identity and credentials to ensure they hold proper authorization to use the service. Problem Management – minimizes the damage of an incident and facilitates resolutions. IT Operations Control – monitors IT infrastructures and supports basic day-to-day tasks to ensure service remains to be deliverable. Continual Service Improvement (CSI) It evaluates and improves all the other processes by providing a feedback loop that continually sharpens the quality of the services being delivered by gathering information, extracting value and lessons from the information, and incorporating them back into the system as efficiently as possible. CSI has the following aspects: Service Review – gives out survey requests to users for purchased products and services. Process Evaluation – includes benchmarking and continuity, which is the maintenance of an ongoing stream of data about the effectiveness of ongoing service processes. Definition of CSI Initiatives – collects data from service review and process evaluation to define CSI Initiatives to improve the service. Initiatives can be internal, which only involves the IT team, or external, which involves the users doing a new feedback set. 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 4 of 5  IT2312 References: Bordoloi, S. & Fitzsimmons, J. (2022). Service management: Operations, strategy, information technology. McGraw Hill. ClydeBank Technology. (2022). ITSM: The simplified beginner’s guide to IT service management. ClydeBank Media LLC. ManageEngine (2023). What is ITSM? [Web Article]. Retrieved on July 21, 2023, from https://www.manageengine.com/products/service-desk/itsm/what-is-itsm.html#bestpractice 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 5 of 5